First Mate
by Reggielive101
Summary: Zoro wakes up from another tormenting nightmare. And after escaping a hectic storm, he heads up to the crow's nest. when he wakes he finds Luffy in there with him. wearing a very rare face of seriousness...What could the Captain want with his First Mate? Don't Own One Piece Take the chapter anyway you want. AU


**_I apologize if they seem OOC ._**

 ** _"OI, MARIMO!"_**

 ** _Zoro sighed and turned around, as he did his steel coloured eye made contact with Sanji's deep, angry looking, blue._**

 ** _"What's the big idea hurting Nami-san like that?!"_**

 ** _"Eh? What you on about curly brow?" Zoro hissed._**

 ** _Sanji grabbed Zoro's collar pulling him a little too close for Zoro's comfort._**

 ** _"Nami-swan has a bruise on her wrist thanks to you"_**

* * *

Zoro didn't know where he was, all he saw was darkness. He walked, didn't know where, and at this moment, he didn't really care.

After what felt like hours Zoro sighed irately and decided to stop and have a nap. He went to his left knee and started to take his swords out one-by-one, first it as Shusui, after that he took out Kitetsu, he could feel its voice, it was growling obnoxiously load, it was louder then usually, Zoro thought… However, he pushed the thought aside and placed it down, he then went to grab Wado ichimonji, but all he grabbed was air. He looked at his side to see Wado missing. He looked around desperately when his movements came an abrupt stop.

Nothing really fazed Zoro much. Not someone being beheaded, being disembowelled. He's done his fair share of dirty and gruesome deeds. He hardly had nightmares of those events.

Nothing haunted him. Well…That's what he thought anyway.

Everyone has nightmares.

They come and go, but they always leave a sower taste.

He looked at the small, childlike figure in front of him.

He couldn't seem much, but all he could see from the darkness was the bright white sword in the kid's right hand.

"OI, gimmie that sword!" he shouted to the ghostly figure.

The figure grew closer and as it did he noticed it was a female, and that she had blue messy hair. Once he got a better look the kid he was taken back a bit.

"K-kuina…" he spoke a little uneasy.

She didn't say anything.

He was about to open his mouth but stopped as he saw how her head was twisted…twisted so inhumanly. She had no eyes, her empty sockets stared him down, like looking into the abyss itself.

She came closer, she limped due to the way her right leg was bent. From her knee down, her leg was bent backwards and twisted, in way thought impossible. It was surprising that she was still able to stand on it somewhat easy. her left arm was a bit lower them the other one, being dislocated, her forearm was snapped in two. Blood oozed out of the abyss looking eyes.

"I died" her hollow voice echoed.

Zoro didn't say anything.

She moved much closer to him, now being only an arm's reach away.

Her skin was pale and covered in blood and bruises. Broken bones had pieced her skin, with blood following it.

"I dead. And now I won't be able to fulfil my dream…"

Zoro still remained quiet, lost in thought. Kitetsu was calling him, that annoying blood-thirsty call.

"You said you would fulfil _BOTH_ of our dreams…"

"I will" he spoke suddenly, voice filled with determination.

"Bullshit".

As she said this her voice became hollower, more...demonic. and Zoro hadn't even notice that she got so much closer, now she was standing fight in front of him. Since he was still on his knee his eyes were aligned with her hollows sockets.

"You lost against Dracule Mihawk" she spoke.

She placed her figure in the middle of his sternum, as she did a cold chill went down his spin.

"He gave you this".

"Then you sacrificed yourself for _that_ captain…"

Zoro looked at her, her face was still.

"You were willing to throw away everything for him, even your…no... _OUR_ dream!".

Zoro gritted his teeth. "I couldn't win".

"Like you could never win against me".

There was silence from both of them. Then there came a voice. A voice that sounded so familiar.

 _Kill him, it'll be easy._

As the voice spoke Zoro looked at the figure who was supposed to be Kuina, he saw how a smile formed on her face, a smile that stretched from ear-to-ear, a smile twisted as the love-cook's eyebrows.

 _You said you would kill him if he ever came between that dream. You're a man of your word, right? Then let's do it, let's kill him for what he has done._

Zoro gritted his teeth even more. The figure in front of him had disappeared, leaving Wado laying on the floor.

"I'm not going to kill my captain!" Zoro shouted. His voice echoed all over, then it slowly became quiet.

 _Why? Think of Kuina? You owe her that much. I mean when you think about it…she died because of you._

Zoro kept quiet, it wasn't the first time the blood-thirsty voice mocked him. It had gotten worse after Thriller Bark, constant torments of how weak he was, how he couldn't protect anything.

 _All because you wanted use real swords._

Zoro couldn't let it win, he'd conquer his demons, he was strong. He'll just cut it down like everything else. That's what he's good at.

 _You couldn't save her._

* * *

Zoro jolted awake and slowly opened his eyes. He slowly sat up from the grass and he scratched the side of his head all the while looking more agitated. It hadn't been that long since they had left Thriller Bark, and his body was still aching.

"Fucking dreams." Zoro grumbled.

Zoro looked up and saw that Luffy was sat there staring at him.

"Huh? what?" he asked harshly.

"What's wrong? He asked his face showing no emotion, but his eyes, his eyes showed how concerned he was.

Zoro hated how perceptive he was.

Zoro sat there and saw his swords from the corner of his eye. He could hear Kitetsu calling out.

 _Kill him, it'll be easy._

Zoro scoffed while scratching his head. He could feel his figures twitch a little.

"Nothing Luffy." his voice remained steady, however his eyes showed how exhausted he was.

And Zoro was exhausted. Not that he would admit it to anyone.

Zoro slowly got up and decided to head to the kitchen to get some sake. Luffy just looked as his first mate walk off.

On his way there Nami was standing on the top floor, staring out to the sea. Her short orange hair flowing in the unusually strong wind. As the wind was growing stronger so did the concern on her face.

Zoro walked past her when she suddenly turned around.

"EVERYONE! WE NEED TO MOVE!"

Everyone shot their heads around to look at Nami and within a heartbeat they went to their places. Zoro was about to make his way down the stairs, when without warning the ship was viciously rocked back and forth. Nami was standing too close to the front step when the ship was rocked and ended up losing her footing.

It was like everything was in slow motion. The waves crashing onto the ship, the wind, Nami falling down the stairs.

 _She died…she fell down the stairs._

Zoro shot to Nami. He reached out his hand and grabbed her wrist, a bit to hard as she squinted her eyes a bit. Zoro pulled her back quickly, with the quick motion of being pull and the way the ship was rocking she hit the stairs with a thud.

 _Nice catch_

There was a warm soothing voice, however Zoro was to distract to pay it any mind.

"T-thanks"

There was no time, even for breathing, as the waves around them started to grow in size. Nami ordered everyone, and after a few struggling moments they manged to get out of the ferocity of the hectic storm. Everyone was exhausted, Zoro more so.

Zoro was about to make his way up to the crow's nest to have a nap, he'd just get some booze once he's catches a few Z's. however, he stopped when he heard Sanji shouting.

"OI, MARIMO!"

Zoro sighed and turned around, as he did his steel coloured eye made contact with Sanji's deep, angry looking, blue.

"What's the big idea hurting Nami-san like that?!"

"Eh? What you on about curly brow?" Zoro hissed.

Sanji grabbed Zoro's collar pulling him a little too close for Zoro's comfort.

"Nami-swan has a bruise on her wrist thanks to you"

Zoro pushed Sanji's hand off him and stood a little back.

"Sanji-kun, its nothing" Nami spoke up as she made her way over.

"Zoro grabbed me before I feel down the stairs" Nami raised her hands up, in a pleading manner.

As she did there was a bruise starting to form on her wrist, a bruise the size of Zoro's hand. A slight ping of guilt hit Zoro. He didn't mean to grab her that heard. But he couldn't let her fall. he had to save her.

Sanji looked at her and took hold of her hand, looking at the still forming bruise.

"But Nami-swan, women are delicate! They need to be treated with care."

As Sanji said this Zoro couldn't help but think of what Koshrio said about how people are fragile things.

Zoro scoffed and pushed pass Sanji making his way to the crow's nest, all the while ignoring Sanji shouting at him.

Once up there he let out a sigh as he took out Shusui. One of his heaviest swords, but still great at causing mass destruction. Holding it in his hand he could feel it calling to him, the voice was calm and quiet. Zoro rested it against the wall.

He hovered his right hand over Kitetsu. The voice wanted blood it cried so loud it was deafening. He moved his hand closer to it, the closer the louder it screamed.

He grabbed onto the sword and pulled it out. He wasn't going to cave, he had more pride and self-respect then that.

Once he set the sword down he went to grab Wado, once his hand touched it he could feel warmth coming off it, the same warmth he felt not to long ago. He remembered the endless fights he had with her, how determined she was to win. He hated losing to her every time, but he would rather lose to her again if it meant that she was here living her life that was cut so short. He stood there for a moment looking at Wado before setting it down.

Zoro was about to sit down when a pain shot around his body. He gritted his teeth and held his hand on the wall to steady himself. After a few agonizing moments it faded.

After he got into a comfortable position he fell right asleep.

* * *

Zoro slowly opened his eyes. He didn't know what had caused him to wake. He looked around and saw that it was a bit dark.

There was something off, he scanned the quiet room again and his eyes fell onto a straw hat.

"L-Luffy?" he asked unsurely.

Luffy was at the opposite side of the room. His face covered by his hat. However, as Zoro called his name he slowly raised his head. As he did he looked conflicted.

"How long have you been there for?" Zoro straitened himself.

"Just got here" Luffy stood up and walked into the light.

"What's wrong? Hiding fro-"

"I know what you did" Luffy cut him off.

Zoro looked at him seriously without saying anything.

"Who told you?"

"I'm not _that_ stupid. I may not have been awake. But I grew suspicious, I forced Sanji to confirm it for me." Luffy spoke his voice was low.

Zoro sighed and started to get up, grunting in the process. And walked towards him

"Why did you do it?"

"You should know why" Zoro huffed quietly.

Luffy moved closer to him and hit him punched, in the chest. As he did Zoro bit down.

"Dammit!" Zoro hissed as he grabbed onto Luffy's extend arms wrist.

Luffy used his other hand and punched him in his arm.

"WE'ER NAKMA!" Luffy shouted.

Zoro grabbed onto his other wrist. Pain shot around his body.

"YOU PRIMISED DIDN'T YOU?!"

Zoro tried to catch his breath, still holding onto the younger teens arms, hoping he doesn't hit him again.

"MY LIFE ISN'T WORTH THE PAIN YOUR GOING THROUGH!" Luffy held him head down, his eyes being covered by his hat.

Zoro stood there gently holding on to the boy's wrist. He could feel him trembling.

"Your life is worth it, you're the one who's going to pirate king, right?!"

"You're the one who's going to the strongest swordsman in the world, right?!"

 _Got you there_

Zoro recognised that faint warm voice, and he smiled a little.

"I don't regret it, and if need be I would do it again"

Luffy shot his head up to him, face mixed with sorrow and anger.

"No" he voiced clear as day.

"I can't promise"

"Damnit! You promised, you keep your promises, right?!" Luffy looked up at him, his eyes full of tears. Zoro had to hold Luffy's arms tight as he felt the youngster trying to get a punch in.

"All of that would have meant nothing if I could keep my crew safe! What kind of first mate would I have been if I couldn't save my captain!"

"I-it would have been my…my fault…if…if would have died"

"But I didn't"

"That's not the point!"

"You said you'd kill me if I stood in the way of your dreams! Kill me!"

Zoro looked at him serious.

 _He's telling you to kill him Zoro…do it_

The cursed blade screamed in his head. Zoro sighed and look straight into his captain's water filled eyes.

Looking at him hurt, it really did. But Zoro never once regretted it. Kitetsu can torment him all the damn, cursed blade wants…just seeing Luffy fulfil him dreams, he knows, deep down him his tainted soul, he knows he did the right thing. And he would do it again a thousand more times if necessary.

"I did say that…but making you fulfil your dreams became my main priority"

Luffy looked at him, his dark eyes felt like they burnt his tainted soul.

Zoro has never been good comforting people with words. He kind of hated all that mushy stuff. So, the next best thing he could do was bring his captain in for hug. Luffy looked a little shocked, Zoro doesn't hug anyone.

"I do keep my promises. But I can't promise that I won't try and sacrifice myself again."

As he said this Luffy clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

"But I promise you that I will never die… not until I become the worlds greatest swordsmen. And you become king of the pirates."

Luffy looked up to his first mate and gave a weak smile. Luffy may not have agreed to what he did and gong to do. But he knows, that when Zoro says he wont die. Then he means it.

 _I promise that I'll protect your dream_. Luffy thought those words. Unable to voice them.

The blood-thirsty voice was replaced with the usual warm one. A voice filled with a promise yet to be fulfilled and distant memories.


End file.
